Verdant: a living installation

photo: Bethany Catherine

For me, this installation was a turning point. It was the first time I went big and brave with plants. It was the first solo exhibition at Golden Rule. A lot of the process//tools//materials were new. It was exploratory and satisfying. I love installation because I think, more that other art forms, it inspires a child-like wonderment. I love plants because I know from experience that the relationship developed in the care of plants is like seeing all of life from far out. You can see, on a small scale; birth, growth, death, and rebirth. These are powerful symbols to take with you in life, and if you are willing to cultivate that care, it's a daily communication with a living thing in your environment. This all seems a little serious, but this is where the concept for this work came from. I also wanted the installation to come apart. I wanted it to be taken on by all new care givers. I have loved seeing photos of happy new plant parents showing off their happy charge, freshly watered and at home amongst their art collections//foggy bathrooms//clean, bright kitchens.